Kuwait pledges zero tolerance towards “illegal” rallies

Kuwait’s interior ministry warned that it would have a zero-tolerance policy towards any attempt to undermine law and order in the country.

“We are fully confident that all citizens are keen on Kuwait’s security and safety,” a ministry spokesman said.

“We trust they will abide by the laws and regulations meant to preserve and safeguard the stability of our beloved land,” the spokesman said, quoted by the official Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).

The ministry issued the warning after opposition lawmakers who lost a bid to oust the government on Wednesday afternoon said that they would use the streets as their new battle grounds in their drive to force the prime minister to resign.

However, the ministry said that laws should be upheld at all times and in all places.

“We are committed to allowing citizens to hold seminars and forums within diwaniyas, private meeting halls, but we will not tolerate rallies in public places to avoid security lapses and order deficiencies, and eventually, eliminate risks to the country’s security and stability,” the ministry said.

“We do recognise the right of Kuwaitis to hold meetings and consult on public and private matters inside diwaniyas in line with the constitution that stipulated people’s rights within legal frameworks.”

The opposition, two days before it lost the voting by three votes, said that it wanted to keep all its options open and that street pressure tactics topped its agenda.

The government on Tuesday rejected the call for street action and insisted that divergences could be debated in the parliament and that genuine democracy meant accepting the outcome of the vote based on people’s choices.

Shaikh Nasser Al Mohammad has survived three grilling motions in the last 12 months.